Editor of the Reformer,
I want to encourage all my neighbors in West Brattleboro to vote for Emilie Kornheiser as our state representative. This kind of thing is new to me. Myself, I was not particularly involved in politics before the last election, and that was a real wake up. Things suddenly seemed to slide in a dark direction and I was looking around for a way to get involved and do something, anything, to help. I went to a Democratic Party meeting expecting I could sign up to fight the good fight, but I was wrong. It was just business as usual, mixed with some hand wringing. Other groups were much focused on addressing the crisis, but they seemed so scared and negative that I wasn't sure what good, new direction we could find. As I stuck with it I noticed that Emilie Kornheiser was consistently finding a path that combined optimism, commitment to values, and the generosity of spirit to really engage with folks that disagree. She has been showing up, speaking and organizing tirelessly since the last election. She is always reminding us that solutions exist, that we can pursue these solutions without compromising on our values, and that in the end we will only get there by working with folks in our community that we initially are at odds with. One of the gifts of the last few years is that people like Emilie have been willing to step forward and run for office. Emilie is an honest, clear communicator who has knocked on just about every door in our district. She has shown that she is willing to work hard and work with everyone. If we want things to be different in our country in the coming years, we need to make changes right now in who holds office locally and who represents us in Vermont. There have not been a whole lot of bright spots in our political life recently, but right now we have this opportunity. You can vote in the town clerk's office and it takes about three minutes. It is a wonderful, simple way to take a step in the right direction.
Matthew Wright
Brattleboro, Aug. 8
